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87 Comments
- Jasper710, on 07/17/2008, -5/+48That's oddly really smart
- saxmaster, on 07/18/2008, -2/+45I've always wondered why someone hasn't come out with a human-powered gym. Why do all that work just to lift a weight up and down when it could be used to help power the lights, TVs, and air conditioning?
- poptoppyramid, on 07/18/2008, -0/+34Not to mention in front of the cash registers at McDonalds. Put those pounds to good use.
- Enygma42, on 07/18/2008, -1/+20I've always thought the same thing, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to implement and I reckon you could make considerable savings on electricity bills.
[edit]
Ah, here we go: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/03/08/human-powered- ... - Rudegar, on 07/17/2008, -3/+20does the fact that i hate dancing make me a part of the problem rather then the solution :S
- RhoxYourSox, on 07/17/2008, -11/+28let's find a way to install these on roads, then we'll talk about a breakthrough in energy conservation
- ricksite, on 07/18/2008, -4/+17Installing these in a road would be a breakthrough in wasting energy. The energy doesn't come out of thin air, it comes from the cars. Thus, it would lower the efficiency of the cars driving over it. You might as well burn the gas in a generator as it would be much more efficient.
- forevernomad, on 07/18/2008, -3/+15Pavements/sidewalk anyone?
- inactive, on 07/18/2008, -0/+10So basically people who dance there get tired quicker. Oh joy.
- inactive, on 07/18/2008, -0/+8Please people, lets not forget the lessons taught to us by The Matrix, and that is humans should never be a source of energy.
- ricksite, on 07/18/2008, -0/+6@bundwallah, because the cars are not generating power per se. The "power" generated comes from slowing the car down. The car then has to use more fuel to maintain the same speed. Google the "law of conservation of energy".
- dexter411, on 07/18/2008, -0/+6Mmm... piezoelectrics. And the fun part is that if you apply a voltage over that floor, it'll distort and trip people up.
- djepik, on 07/18/2008, -2/+8Ricksite is right. When designing a road and considering stopping distance, you take into accound something called "rolling resistance" its the resistance the road puts on your tires that stops you from rolling forever.
Having this material on roads would be *exactly* like always having flat tires - and we know how that affects fuel economy. - Junkey, on 07/18/2008, -1/+7The power of extacy, what can't it do?
- doctechnical, on 07/18/2008, -0/+6Before we all go ape thinking of things to put generators in remember that building a generator (or energy-capture device, whatever you want to call it) takes energy in and of itself, from the machines that pull the raw materials from the ground to the truck that delivers the finished product to your door.
Consider how many keystrokes it's going to take before the power-generating keyboard pays back it's initial power investment.
I'm guessing that floor wilt never break even. It's a fad, not a solution. - sguasp, on 07/17/2008, -0/+5haha, yes, now the guy standing against the wall is not only no fun, he's taken a violent shove into counterproductive.
damn, rudegar, way to help. :) - krnldmp, on 07/18/2008, -0/+5I'm all for alternative energy production but not the fad kind. Just try running the lights over the floor with that bloney and see how far you get.
- Neph, on 07/18/2008, -0/+4Once again science accomplishes something no one ever thought possible: Finding a use for Guidos.
- kaniz, on 07/18/2008, -0/+4In my experience, I've enjoyed dance floors that have a bit of 'give' in them. Dancing on pavement is pretty hard on the feet. A hardwood floor with a small bit of bounce is nice, and I assume that this would be pretty similar.
- leerayIG88, on 07/18/2008, -0/+4....if they flash colors when you dance. Perfect for raves!!
- dashdingo, on 07/18/2008, -1/+4Did anyone else notice how ***** up the ankle is in #4?
- serif69, on 07/18/2008, -2/+5Kill.
- 101phones, on 07/18/2008, -3/+6Does bad dancing, increase or decrease energy?
- ricksite, on 07/18/2008, -1/+4@appleofdischord, you are right that it would cause people to burn more calories but that it one of the reasons people dance. Efficiency wise, it would be best to not dance at all and not eat the food required to give you energy for dancing. It wouldn't make much sense to burn the food in a generator though. What is your logic?
- ricksite, on 07/18/2008, -2/+5I don't think it is feasible considering the amount of wiring/equipment it would take to get a relatively low amount of inconsistent energy. It might be technically possible but there too many other better ways to get energy.
- Narcism, on 07/18/2008, -0/+3I read this somewhere before.
- Archon810, on 07/18/2008, -0/+3if you're an average digger, probably increase.
- calon9, on 07/18/2008, -0/+3I was going to make a joke about putting springs and piezoelectrical actuators under my ex-girlfriend's mattress, but I can't think of any.
- chaos7, on 07/18/2008, -0/+3it's already been thought of
- Tanktunker, on 07/18/2008, -0/+3Lieutenant Dan! You got new legs!
- diggydougie, on 07/18/2008, -1/+4Piezoelectric crystals don't produce much power. I suspect that this wouldn't even power the sound system. But the article doesn't say, if it were a lot of power they would brag about it.
- rewinn, on 07/18/2008, -2/+5Delightful story, but it's merely a link to a very limited bloglink. A much fuller story is here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-102 ...
- sotose, on 07/18/2008, -0/+3But then who will staff the sweatshops?
- malcolmlo, on 07/18/2008, -0/+3My completely non-scientific, out of my ass estimate is: a human powered gym, if done right, could have a net surplus of energy to put back into the grid. Any takers?
- danconia, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2Couldn't help but notice how they don't mention how much electricity it actually produces... I think it's safe to say this innovation, while very creative, is probably not worth the price of installation and certainly not the answer to the energy crisis.
I wonder exactly how much the dancefloor "squashes" down... - wTheOnew, on 07/18/2008, -1/+3Install them near traffic lights. Between that and solar traffic lights could get to the point of using no energy from the grid.
- Magnolit, on 07/18/2008, -2/+4*Barf*
- pitchblack16, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2what will they think of next
- kurtu5, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2So there I was tearing up the dance floor. Nobody told me about the nail sticking out the bottom of my shoe.
--Emo Phillips - kurtu5, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2Thats a sign that its just a bunch of *****. If there were objective attitudes taken towards conservation, everyone would be on the same page. But no, its all fadish *****. "Use paper bags" "recycle", these things are worse for the environment.
Paper takes a ton of energy to manufacture -vs- plastic. Recycling also takes more energy in that it saves. Its more ecological to landfill. - DyceFreak, on 07/18/2008, -1/+3just get drunk then see how much you hate dancing :P
if you are a dry soul then "god" help you
it would be hilarious if the music stopped because there wasn't enough power because only you weren't dancing :P - doctechnical, on 07/18/2008, -0/+2I love the fact the eco-clubs are snarky at each other. A "Greener than Thou" attitude :)
- qetuo, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1Please stop doing this.
- I_am_so_smrt, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1Piezoelectric generators that can dance...
- killscreenes, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY WORLD!?
- CatherineSouth, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1It's ok Dycefreak, in the comments section of 5 Most Popular Linux-hackable Gadgets, easy pie [jumps out of window].
The best comment he's made yet. - DyceFreak, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1lol easy, looking at your previous comments, I'm suprised you arent banned... I've never felt more compelled to block somebody.
Here's what you said about hendrix's burnt guitar,
"I wouldn't buy that burnt guitar even if it were made of gold!!" - bigdickensfan, on 07/18/2008, -4/+5any plans to expand this to DDR? Asians can power the future
- skav, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1Some people have beat you to this idea. But good idea!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerse ...
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Art ...
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/12/ramp_creat ... - inactive, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1God Ron Jeremy is so ***** ugly. It just angers me every time I see his name referenced, knowing that this ugly son of a bitch has ***** so many pretty women.
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